A debt paid

Making it to Matilda's shop by one o'clock just like she asked me to couldn't have been timed better. Walking into the familiar store I see Samantha and Matilda talking.

"Hey." I call out.

"Hey." Samantha replies back while Matilda smiles her crimson smile.

"Ready to fight some demons?" I ask with some pep.

"Yea Matilda let me read a little about them. It should be fine." Samantha agrees.

"Sweet. Lets go-" Samantha's stomach growls louder than I was talking.

Matilda laughs lightly. "Care for some lunch? I got some soup going in the back."

"We greatly appreciate that." I say giving Matilda a hug.

"It's the least I could do." She smiles.

Not sure how but food cooked over an open fire somehow tastes amazing every time. The soup is a tomato base with lots of vegetables chopped and tossed in. Once full, Samantha and I head back to our place to gear up before we head out the town gates to off the demons wrecking havoc.

"So where are they?" Samantha asks looking around the farm land and rolling hills.

"Not fully sure. Aba said they were in the area though so if we walk around a bit they will show up. Eventually. Hopefully.." I trail off looking around at the empty countryside. "Let's try this way. There is a bigger town off this way that they might be coming from."

"Because they feed off people's negative spiritual energy/emotions? Wouldn't it be better for them to be by a bigger town were more of that is at?" She asks with a confused look.

"It's much easier for them to live in a bigger town but some hunters or just powerful beings in general will drive them out causing them to come this way." I explain.

"Hmmm." Then she had a confused look.

"Don't hold back on questions. That could get you killed."

"You said in town. So does the barrier around Bellamy let them in?" 

"Oh, there are bigger cities because there has to be places for the not well intended to live. Kinda like on Earth, you have no idea who a murder is til they are caught. Sex offenders in theory are registered but if you dont look them up then who is to say next door or down the street is one. It's probably the closest thing to Earth besides all the supernatural walking around."

"Interesting." Samantha nods.

"I see movement." I whisper to Samantha.

She moves to a crouching position with her spear while I knock an arrow. We study the group of ten red skinned, short demons as they slowly make their way toward Bellamy. The last five weren't fighting amongst themselves too bad but more finding their pecking order. Leading the band was a shaman carrying a staff and a bone made headdress. I point him out letting Samantha know he is a shaman with ranged attacks. The rest had small blood covered weapons of clubs, short swords, and a knife. I let Samantha know that they might not look it but they do move a lot faster than the zombies.

With a nod Samantha follows my lead into the fight. I loose an arrow, striking and killing the fifth demon in line. The front four paid no attention to him while the last five walked over his corpse while they continue their squabble. I did that for the fourth in line. Only he fell forward quicker and set the first three on high alert. The shaman slammed the end of his staff on the dirt path, jingling the bones attached at the top, the five squabbling demons fell in line ready for a fight. The shaman lifts his hand and staff channeling mana for a fireball attack.

"Time to go. Stay light on your feet." I tell Samantha as I break left to keep the Shaman's attention on me.

"Kay..." Samantha says with not much confidence, at all.

She throws one of her spears injuring the end snaggle toothed demon. They all erupt with war cries. The leading demons charge me to protect the shaman while the end five charge Samantha. She swears when realizing how much faster they move. I loose arrow after arrow at the ones chasing me, they drop like flies til all thats left is the shaman. I keep shooting arrows at him but he keeps shooting small fire balls the knock my arrows off their trajectory.

In my peripheral vision I see Samantha running and circling to be able to pick the demons off one by one. A faint mist of purple trails her spear that she throws while screaming at the demons to slow down. Then she was able to twirl her new spear around dropping them with ease til she freezes on the last one. Her face contorts into rage.

"Shut up!" She screams running her spear through the demon's chest multiple times.

Samantha turns to face the fight I'm fighting. The shaman is still focused on me. She winds up and throws her spear hard. The spear is sent right through his heart and he slowly falls to the ground. Slowly the wind carries off the ash they became leaving behind their items.

"You good?" I ask Samantha.

"Yea." She huffs catching her breath.

"Good. Lets see what they left."

We gathered their weapons that really did not amount to anything but dead weight. There was 800 gold that we split which was a bit of a shock. When I placed my gold into my bag, the bag glowed then a small cloud of smoke poofed around it.

"What the?" I say in shock. Samantha has a panicked face while looking at me.

*Ping!* There is a message from Matilda on my translator.

[Thanks for paying your debt off fast!]

"What?!" Sure enough most of the money, more like all, of it was gone.

"What happened?" Samantha asks timidly.

"A smart witch is what happened." I grumble. Then I can't help but laugh from her knowing me so well and pulling this prank.